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Letters lPatent No. 80,549, dated Augitst' 4, 1868; antedated July 24, 1868.

IMPEVEMENT 1li BOOT-PROTECTOR,

uit: Stlgrtale referat in in tigeisetets4 rtmt mit mating gaat n' ite same.

TQ ALL WHOM I'I MAY CONGERN:

Be it known that I, J. U. JOHNSON, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved Boot-Protector; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being hadto the annexed drawings, making a 'part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my said invention.

My invention consists Iof a metallic guard, of peculiar conformation, and furnished with spurs or projections, and a strap and buckle, for fastening the device to the boot or shoe of. the wearer.

, It is designed especialyl for the use of, boys while engaged in coasting orsliding upon snow and ice.

It is Well known that,in coasting, a sledis usually steered .by the right foot, which is projected, and acts 'like a rudder, -while theside of the boot, near the toc, is brought in contact with the surface of the `ice and snow, and is soon abraded and'worn away.

My invention is designed to prevent this local wear` and injury of the leather, byinterposing a guard-plate, which completely protects the steering-boot or Shoe at the point of contact with the surface of the snow, which is readily fastened to the boot or detached therefrom, and which, also, may be made to serve as an ie-creeper or safeguard from slippingwhile walking upon ice.

The construction-oi' my invention isas follows:

The device is composed of a metallicportion, which I prefer to construct of malleable iron, and which is cast in one piece, and the straps and buckle for fastening the device to the foot.

The metallic part consists ofV the bottom, A A, andsides, B and C.

The bottom, which I denominate the sole-plate, is slightly curved from front to back, to conform to that curvature of the sole ofl a boot fromthe ballfof the foot forward, and may be slotted,as at A', for lightness.

lUpon'the under side'of the sole-plate, I form .the spurs-d d', dto., to enable the wearer to walk securely upon ice. 4

Projections b b are also formed upon the upper side ofthe soleplate, to enter the sole of the boot, and

prevent the protector fromslipping forward.'

The protector shown is ldesigned for the right foot, but may be 'adapted to the other, by reversing the sides Bl and C. Y t,

' The latter are arranged at right angles to the Sole-plate, and are. curved to comorm to the usual curvature of the corresponding sides of a. boot-sole, at the points where the protector is to be applied.

l The side G is made longerthan B, in the direction of the toe, to entirely protect the steeriugside of the boot, and thesole-plate is extended forward at C, to prevent the device from rocking or tipping.

For the same purpose, a sharp spur, d", may be inserted in the forward end of C, if necessary.

Recesses are formed in the sides B and C, to receive the ends of the-fastening-straps S S, which are secured therein by rivets s s, and respectively furnished with a buckle, S', and holes for the'buckle-tongues.

I have employed a pointed thumb-screw in the side B,`which entered the hoot-sole,and` answered the purpose of the strap and'buckle, but prefer the arrangement shown, s being more reliable alidconvenient, 'althoughA the spurs d d may be removed, and the,` bottom of the-sole-plate roughened, or even left in aesiooth condition, Without impair-ing the yutility of my device as a boot-protector, which I claim as novel and useful, apart from its use as an'ice-creeper.

` Having described my invention, whatI claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an article of manufacture, thehooiaprotector, constructed and arrang'fedV as described. l

J. U. JOHNSON. y

Witnesses:

B, B. HILL, N. B. SMITH. 

